Automatic switching device for use in flash advertising.



PATENTED JAN.14, 1908.

L. K. JOB. 7 AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR USE IN FLASH ADVERTISING.

APPLICATION FILED 1130.27 1905.

v 4 8I IEETSSHEET 1.

No. 876,555. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

L. K. JOB. 5

AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR USE IN FLASH ADVBRTISING.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.27,1905.

- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

altouw No. 876,555. v PATENTED' JAN. 14, 1908.

L. K. JOB.

AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR USE IN FLASH ADVERTISING.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.27.1905.

. 4'SHEETS-SHEBT3 W W [we WW M 155875555. PATENTED JAN.14, 1905.

L. K. JOB. AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVIGB FOR USE IN FLASH ADVERTISING.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Wiwwea [rave/5507" aim-may -wnet STATES PATENT ()FFlIQE- LEONARD :l lNGWIl.l1 .lOll, (ill? XOTTINU lll'lLL, LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC SWITCHING DEVICE FOR USE IN FLASH ADVERTISING.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, linoxAnn Kmowiu. JOB, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 115 Ladhrookc Grow, Notting Hill, in the county of London, England, l'iave invented a new and useful Improved Automatic Switching Device. for in Flash Advertising, of which the following; is a specification.

This invention has for its object improvements in automatic switching devices whereby electric lemps may be periodically switched on and off in the manner required for "i'lash advertising.

According to this invention the switching devices are. operated by solenoids or electrornegnets Wl'llCll make and break their own circuits by the moven'ients of their cores or ermatures, these movements being; damped and controlled by dosh-pots.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which z- Figures 1 and 2 show front and side elevations respectively, the former partly in section, of a device adapted to be fixed on a well and to switch on and oil one or more lamps. FigsB and 4- are plan and elevation respectively of a similar device as arranged for switching in a succession of lamps step by step and extinguishing all .sinndtancously. Figs. 5 and 6 are front and side elevations respectively of a device similar to that shown in Figs. 1 end :2.

Referring" first to Figs. 1 and 2, c is a solenoid the coils of which are connected be tween a terminal :1; and. a post I) on an insu lating base 0. lhepost l) is also coin'iected by a wire to a terminal The solenoid hes a movable core d working as a piston in a dashpot f which is inside the solenoid, and may he of brass; this dash pot is of the type wherein the air can. only iind its way in and out by leakage past the piston. I c is an adjustable core fitting so as to slide in the tube 51 so that it may be set in various positions in which more or less of its length is inside the coil in order to adjust the magnetic strength of the coil which will be available to act on the movable core (1. The rod 9 forms an extension of the core (1. and is drawn do wnward by a spring h. In some cases the core d will be heavy enough to fall under its own l weight without the use of a s ring, or a small Specification of Letters Patent.

Application file. December 27 1905. ,Eerial No. 293.489.

additional weight may be su stituted tor the spring. i is a g ide for the rod g. support for a metal block 1, pivoted at l /c is a 3 Patented. Jan. 14;, 1908..

which is fixed at p on the base, and the ten T he sion of which is adjusted by a screw g. post I) carries. a spring u adapted to make contact at j with the tail piece of-spring s; the tension of this spring and its exact positionare adjusted by the screw '22. estop uniting the movement of the on the base l block.

in the diagreinn'ietic connections shown at the top of Fig. 1, the current from the-.4- main is branched, part going through a resist ance 2, which. is inserted to diminish theoretrent in this circuit, to the terminal 9:,[and pert'through lamp or lamps 3 to tern'iinal z. The terminal 2 is connected to the main.

The device operates as follows -ln the position shown the core d hes just fallen until the pin m pressing on the spring 8 has forced the block downward past the roller r closing the content at 7'. Current is now flowing from the main throngh the resistance and solenoid e, and through the lenip 23 to the post Z); through spring u, contect at spring .9, block hand so through terminal y to the main. The solenoid is therefore energized and it attracts its core fl, drawing.

it up at the speed permitted by thedesh pot f; when the pin it comes ageinst spring 6 it turns the block but the springs o and 8 remain in contact at. first. Finally the block Z is forced post the roller with a qnicli motion, breaking; the contact it y' (see posi tion of liy in Fig. 3) and so cutting outthe lamp}; and. solen id c. The core dis thus released and is slowly drawn downward by the spring h (or its own or an added weight) until the pin on. presses 113011 the spring 8 sulliciently to force the block Z downward past the roller 2', when the circuit is ren'iadc he current other letters of reference, where applicable,

are thesame as in Figs. 1 and 2. In place of batteryof course any convenient source of current may be used; c. 9., the current may be taken from the mains as is illustrated in Fig. 1. A cylinder is provided having a metal art 6 and an insulating part 7, the said cy inder being su ported in-bearings 8. 9 is a contact brush w nch always bears on a completely cylindrical part of the metal 6, while 10 are brushes which bear either on the stepped parts of the metal or on the insulation according to the position'of the cylinder. The brush 9 is connected to one (say. the main terminal, and the brushes 10 are connected each throu h one or more lamps to the other (say the .main terminal. Each lamp 3 illuminates one letter or element of the talking sign, and as there are thirteen brushes 10 in the example shown, the sign may have thirteen letters or elements to be illuminated one by one and then extinguished simultaneously. Of

. course there may be any desired number of brushes if the contact cylu'idcr has the re-- the stepped metal part 6 one after another,

switching in their respective lam s 3. After all the lamps have been switcher in all the brushes come on to insulation 7 si' multancously and thus all are snnultaneously -shown.

extinguished As the cylinder is further rotated the lamps are'again switched in one after another. Y

The device shown in Figs. 5 and 6 s in principle exactly the same as that shown in Fig. 1 only that in this case there are two solenoids a connectedin series with one an,- other and with a bridge piece 37 connecting their cores (1 as shown. The rod 9 carrying the pins m, n for operating the h l is mounted on the bridge piece 37 while the dash pot f is arranged between the solenoids a at the rear of said bridge piece. operating and lamp circuits may be the same as in the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or the shunt may be omitted and-the lamp 3 connected in series with the coils a a as Finally it is to be understood that the drawings are intended to serve only as examples of constructions according to theinvention. Details of construction and arrangement may be modified. Further the dash pots may be of any known type whether opcratingwith air or with a uid such as glycerin. What 1 claim is: In an automatic switching device for use in llash advertising, the combination with the electric lamps to be controlled, the source of current, and the electric connections for the same, of a pivoted arm carrying a switch contact, a spring u on each side of said. arm, a spring held ro ler adapted to catch the free end of said arm, a screw for ads justing said roller, and electromagnetically o aerated means for pressing a ainst either of t 1e springs upon the arm, so that said arm is caused. to move suddenly past the spring held roller.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD KINGWI'LL Jon.

The 

